St Joseph's Catholic Primary School, London

Ofsted's report card from its 13 January 2026 inspection grades St Joseph's Catholic Primary School on 7 areas: 7 expected standard. Report cards replaced single-word judgements in November 2025, on a five-point scale from exceptional to urgent improvement.

Achievement - Expected standard. "Pupils achieve well by the end of key stage 2."

Attendance and behaviour - Expected standard. "Over time, attendance has been consistently low and persistent absence high, compared to national averages."

Curriculum and teaching - Expected standard. "Leaders have an understanding of the curriculum's strengths and the areas that need further development."

Early years - Expected standard. "Staff build positive, nurturing relationships with children."

Inclusion - Expected standard. "Leaders have clear systems for identifying pupils' needs when they join the school."

Leadership and governance - Expected standard. "The school has experienced significant changes in recent years."

Personal development and wellbeing - Expected standard. "Leaders have put in place a broad and well‑structured personal development programme."

Safeguarding standards were met.

Ofsted's next steps for the school: "• Leaders should ensure that phonics teaching is consistently high quality to help pupils develop secure early reading skills. • Leaders should strengthen their recording and analysing of school performance data to evaluate the effectiveness of all aspects of the school's provision and to inform further improvement".

In 2025, 82% of Year 6 pupils at St Joseph's Catholic Primary School reached the expected standard in reading and 76% in maths. At the average state primary the figures were 85% and 85% in Barnet and 77% and 75% across England.

Results rose from 78% in reading and 74% in maths in 2024.

For September 2026 entry, 34 families put St Joseph's Catholic Primary School as their first choice and 109 named it as one of their preferences, for 40 places offered. It had fewer first-choice applications than places. Every family who put it first was offered a place there for 2026 entry.

The nearest other state primary schools to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School are Sunnyfields Primary School (0.3 miles, Good, 90% reading, 87% maths); Barnet Hill Academy (0.6 miles); Nancy Reuben Primary School (0.6 miles); and Saracens Bell Lane (0.7 miles, 55% reading, 75% maths).

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School's 2025 results were higher than 1 of these 2 schools.

16 parents answered Ofsted's Parent View survey about St Joseph's Catholic Primary School (as of April 2026): 94% would recommend the school, 94% say their child is happy there and 50% of those with a view say bullying is dealt with well.

The strongest agreement was that they would recommend the school (94%); the weakest, that the school deals with bullying well (among parents with a view) (50%).

60% speak English as an additional language, against 18.8% on average, according to the 2026 school census.

The largest ethnic groups are Black (19%), Asian (18%) and Mixed (14%).

The nearest Underground station is Hendon Central Underground Station, about 560 metres away (roughly a 7-minute walk).

11 bus stops are within a five-minute walk; the closest is St Josephs School, 70 metres away.

In August 2026, police recorded 629 crimes within a mile of the school, most often violence and sexual offences, anti-social behaviour and shoplifting. That is well above the typical figure around schools in Barnet (370), as is usual near a town centre.

In 2024/25, St Joseph's Catholic Primary School issued 16 suspensions, 3.5 for every 100 pupils (the average state school: 6.3), and no permanent exclusions.

The secondary schools closest to St Joseph's Catholic Primary School are St Mary's and St John's CofE School (0.4 miles), Hendon School (0.6 miles), Hasmonean High School for Boys (1 mile) and St James' Catholic High School (1 mile).